Honda halts Swindon car production for second time in a month due to supply chain disruption
Honda this afternoon said that it would halt production at its plant in Swindon due to supply chain disruption – the second time it has done so in a month.
In a statement, the carmaker said that production would stop today and tomorrow, with a view to starting again on Thursday.
It said that the disruption was a result of “global supply issues delays”.
Honda, which builds its Civic model at the Swindon site, was one of many companies hit by massive disruption in the build-up to Christmas.
The combination of stockpiling, pandemic disruption, and Christmas demand left trade flows in tatters, with some cargo ships electing to avoid the UK altogether.
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As with many car companies, the Japanese automaker operates a just-in-time supply chain model, meaning that they often keep low stocks of spare parts.
Due to the pre-Christmas disruption, a number of car firms, such as Bentley, took stops to build out their stockpiles, with many fearing that the introduction of a new customs regime in January would add to disruption.
However, any disruption has thus far been limited. A spokesperson for the Port of Dover said that traffic was running smoothly today, as it had been since the transition.
Honda declined to comment on what was causing the disruption.